Join Our Wikipedia Edit-a-thons
Help increase the representation of women online by contributing to the largest free and open encyclopedia on the web. Beginners and experts are welcome!
Why Wikipedia?
Wikipedia is a free and open encyclopedia. Available in over 300 languages, it is consistently in the top 10 of most viewed websites globally.
However, Wikipedia isn't fully representative. Only 19% of biographies on the site are about women and only 10% of Wikipedia’s editors identify as women. The Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative is committed to working towards equity on Wikipedia by adding women from our collections to the site.
Why Edit-a-thons?
Edit-a-thons are public events where we collaborate to learn how to edit Wikipedia together (training is provided at every event) about a variety of topics throughout the Smithsonian museums. These events are best suited for participants 16 and up who can make well-sourced additions to the site.
Upcoming Programs
Thursday, June 9, 2022 from 1–3:30 p.m. (ET)
Fifty Women Sculptors: A Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
With the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Many women artists whose important works are displayed in museums and galleries around the world have incomplete Wikipedia articles or no article at all. Sculptors are even less represented than painters in Wikipedia, increasing the likelihood of women sculptors being excluded. This problem can be corrected. Wikipedia is an openly editable resource, meaning that we can all help improve the quantity, quality, and accuracy of Wikipedia entries.
During this event, attendees of all experience levels will learn the basics of how to edit Wikipedia by creating or updating articles related to the history of fifty women sculptural artists in the United States.
Past Progress
In 2021, volunteers at our events increased the representation of American women on Wikipedia. Together we made 6,774 total edits, including:
- 331,585 words
- 2,593 references
- 611 edited articles
- 127 newly created articles
In addition, participants at events learned the skills to to edit Wikipedia anytime they want.
Past Programs
View the worklists for past events by clicking on the event title.
2022
- May 19: WikiAPA Edit-a-thon: We Are Here with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
- Mar. 31: Wikipedia Edit-a-thon: Increasing the Representation of Women in STEM with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and IfThenSheCan - The Exhibit
- Feb. 1: Wiki Focus: Black Women in Food History with the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Jan. 20: 100 Women in Science at the Smithsonian with the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
2021
- Oct. 28: Wikipedia Edit-a-thon: Women Innovators in Aviation and Spaceflight with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum
- July 27: Wiki Focus: Black Women in Food History with the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
- May 18: Wiki APA Edit-a-thon: She/They Edition with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center
- April 23: Native American Women Edit-a-thon with the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian
- March 25: Women in Science Edit-a-thon: Smithsonian Groundbreakers with the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives and the Biodiversity Heritage Library
2020
- Oct. 29: Women in Finance Edit-a-thon with the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
- Aug. 31: Women in Science Edit-a-thon: Smithsonian Groundbreakers with the Smithsonian Librarires and Archives
- Aug. 2020 (various dates): 19th Amendment Edit-a-thon (virtual campaign with 8 trainings) with the Library of Congress and the National Archives
- June 25: Wikipedia and Women in Science Edit-a-thon with the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History
- March 13: Art and Feminism Edit-a-thon with the Smithsonian American Art Museum
- March 9: Smithsonian Women, Art, and Digital Visibility, a Wikimedia Commons (structured data) editing event with the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery
2019
- Oct. 8: Ada Lovelace Day Edit-a-thon with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum
- July 12: All Work and No Pay Edit-a-thon with the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
- April 5: Votes for Women Edit-a-thon with the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery
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Help Amplify the Voices of American Women
Decades in the making, the Smithsonian is building an American Women’s History Museum in our nation’s capital.
